PHOS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 10^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time  is, “Phos”.

“Phos”  - P H O S  is  the Greek word for “Light!”

We know its root in the big English words that begin with the prefix, “phos” - as in  phosphorus and  phosphorescence. We can also spot it in all those words  beginning with phot - P H O T  -  as in  photographs - something we see - because there was light.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel Jesus calls us to be salt and light - to make a difference - to be tasty and enlightening. I’m just going to reflect on light - “Phos”. It’s a word right there in today’s gospel from Matthew 5:14 - right after the Beatitudes as we start the Sermon on the Mount.

SHORT MOVIE

Years and years ago in a retreat house - during a whole retreat season, we showed a short movie called “Phos” during the Saturday night session of the retreat. So I saw the movie over 35 times. I don’t remember if any words were spoken in the short movie.

As I remember the movie,  it went like this. The screen is all dark. It’s a shot at night looking down at a hill that leads to a village. It’s the night before Easter. It’s on a Greek island. Everything is dark. Night.

Then a small light appears on the upper left hand corner of the screen. It’s a new light. It’s lit on top of a hill. It’s a fire - as in our Easter Vigil - but this is more dramatic.

Then one sees a shadowy figure light a candle or a lamb from that fire and then that person lights the candle  or lamp of the person next to them. The road from the top of the hill to the bottom was lined with people.  The light moves all the way down the mountain on this curving, winding road to  a village. Then you start to see all the houses in the village slowly having a candle or a lamp lit in a window - and the whole town becomes bright - in the night.

I saw that movie over and over again. The story was simple a visible light from a fire on top of a hill - working its way down a road to a village.

It was a parable. It was a message maker. It got everyone talking about how we are called to be a light to our world.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

Another way to read the scriptures is to read them in light of that image of “Phos” or light.

Jesus came into the world as the Light of the World.

Jesus often talks about light and darkness - and the gospels - especially John - says that the light will never go out.

We come here to have our oil lamps filled for the day - and the night.

We can be foolish or wise version of the Christian.

The light can go out. We can walk in darkness.

We are like that long line of people on the hill and we pass the Light of Christ to the next person - and it works its way - please God to all the homes of Annapolis and the people we meet this day - and into their homes and their lives.

CONCLUSION

Today - June 11 - we celebrate the feast of St.  Barnabas - called out of anonymity and he passed the Light of Christ along with Paul to those same Greek islands and the area called, The Mediterranean Basin - and it has come to us.

Yes the light can go out. Yes the light can be rekindled.

Weren’t many of us brought up with the Christopher message from Father Keller, “Better to light one candle than curse the darkness”?